58 • July | August 2026 • abasto.com THE WORLD CUP TAKES CENTER STAGE AT EXPO ANTAD 2026 BY VIOLETA MONTES DE OCA E xpo Guadalajara hosted the 43rd edition of the Expo ANTAD from May 19 to 21, 2026 in Guadalajara, Mexico. At the venue, Mikel Arriola, pre- sident of the Mexican Football Federation, delivered the keynote address ahead of the trade show’s official inauguration. The main topic: World Cup. “We are 24 days away from the largest event in human history in terms of magni- tude,” Arriola said, referring to the 2026 World Cup. Soccer, he continued, is the most popu- lar sport on Earth, and North America is the most integrated and wealthiest region in the world. Mexico records 100 million soccer fans, while the United States has 60 million. However, when a person attends a match in Los Angeles, the stands are dominated by a Mexican population. The Hispanic population in the United States represents the fifth-largest Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the world, Arriola highlighted. Furthermore, he no- ted that the growth rate of this GDP is the third fastest globally, and the income of Hispanics there has increased by nearly 40%. “I believe one of the best ways to look at soccer is from a consumer perspective, because you realize it is the most consu- med and popular sport in the world. We are going to have the biggest World Cup in human history,” he mentioned. There will be 62% more matches than in Qatar 2022, featuring 16 stadiums across three countries. AT THE EXHIBITION HALL 1. Alejandro de la Hoz, Goya Foods team. 2. Ana Luisa Pérez, EDT-VPA Incaparina. 3. David García, Megalimentos. 4. Sandra Cortés, INNERCIA. 5. Ma. Elena Fernández and Alberto Coro- nado, La Sabrozita. 6. Marco Arguijo, El Gran Chaparral. TOUR THE SHOW 2 4 5 3 1 6 • Continues on page 60 • TRADE SHOWS